TDI recently completed a FASTER program to train teachers and school staff to respond to active killers in an Ohio county where EVERY school was represented to have armed staff in their schools. Here is a note from one of the participants:

Hi John,

I want to take the time to thank you for an outstanding class this week. I am so very impressed with your organization and all of the instructors that I have had contact with in the two classes that I have taken with you. In 38 years in law enforcement and 33 years in the professional fire service, I have not found a more passionate group of instructors anywhere. I have been to Anniston, Alabama for homeland security training 9 times, been to the Mercury nuclear training site in Nevada for homeland security training, Texas A&M university for homeland security training and dozens of other schools, and you people are absolutely top shelf. You took the extra time with each person that was needed to get them through the course and made them feel good about themselves. I am looking forward to more training with your organization If I can ever be of any assistance to you, please let me know!

TDI–world class instruction available for everyone.

April, 2016

Good Morning John,

My thanks to you and the Team TDI for another fantastic weekend of training. The FIST program exceeded the my expectation (that were based on the experience relayed from past participants that I have met at other TDI programs). Wyatt’s and Bill’s live fire houses were great (as usual), Chris and Joe’s force on force house scenarios were “real world” and very practical (also as usual), and Forrest and John Motil gave us all excellent training scenarios on the upper range (those welts on my back were a reminder the entire drive home that I need to keep my “360 awareness” even when exiting a car under fire).

I know that you have heard this before; from me and from many, many others; but you and your team really are top notch. You and your team’s professionalism, experience, and talent for instruction cannot be beat. I look forward to Active Shooter in a few weeks.

Thank you again,

D. Wynne

John,

Once again, one of your courses, Precision Rifle, exceeded my expectations and those of my son’s. My son found it outstanding while I found it both outstanding and frustrating! My frustration centered on my inability to find an acceptably comfortable and repeatable prone position to shoot. Virtually all of my hunting and practicing has been from a fixed sitting position. I have never shot from a prone position. As I know you are aware, the prone position is the most stable shooting position. Once mastered, it allows the shooter to concentrate and develop the many other request skills required to shoot consistently. It seems no matter how hard I tried, I could not find the proper front and rear support heights and position to allow me to shoot consistently. Finally, on Sunday morning I found the right combination that worked for me. At that point, I was “ready” to start the course but was clearly two days behind (and years behind the other students).

Actually my frustration was an acid test for your instructors. All of them showed an amazing amount of patience and genuine concern for me and the problems I was having. It got to the point that I was embarrassed about the time and individual attention they were spending with me when they could have been helping others. The technical competence of all of the instructors was obvious. Those abilities were surpassed with their positive and patient attitudes. Although I learned a lot and reconfirmed my understanding that I have a lot more to learn, my fondest memory is the atmosphere that both my son and I experienced at TDI. It obviously starts with you and the team of instructors that you have assembled but then extends to all of the students.

Please extend our thanks to your entire staff until Ray and I can do it personally while another class. The nine-hour drive from Atlanta is certainly worth it!

Tom Berger

December, 2015

Good Morning John,

Having just completed the CQPC course at TDI this past weekend, I wanted to thank you and your staff (Forrest & John) for the stellar experience this past weekend. Not having ever pursued anything like this before, admittedly I was apprehensive and certainly a little nervous upon my arrival.

Throughout the two day course, many of the applications certainly did not come naturally for me and the continued attention from each of you was most welcome and appreciated. I was pleasantly surprised by the approach from you and your associates, friendly, professional & patient. It made for a great experience.

I was truly surprised with my confidence by the end of the second day and the confrontation with Forrest in the padded suit exercise. While I am certain I did not perform and execute flawlessly, my attitude in responding to a potential threat had shifted 180 degree’s from when I first arrived Saturday morning. I have much work to do in practicing the techniques, but starting my training at TDI was a great experience! I look forward to additional sessions in the near future, along with my wife and kids.

Please pass along my regards to Forrest & John. They were great to work with and I hope to see each of you again at TDI soon.

Have a great Holiday Season.

Kindest Regards,
Mike Zumbiel

November, 2014

Dear John,

Thirty six hours have passed since I left your Handgun Level I-III course. A number of people have asked me about it. I just shake my head and summarize by saying that it was amazing and far exceeded my high expectations. As I told you, I have been a casual target shooter for over thirty years. Within one hour of being on the range, I realized that I have been doing virtually everything wrong for this entire time! My son, who also attended, agreed with me. I apologized to him for teaching him how to shoot – all wrong!

There is no question that I will have to spend many hours unlearning my bad habits and developing the muscle memory to shoot properly. Bill Posey had previously told me that he took the course several times. I wondered why anyone would repeat any course multiple times. Now I understand. I will be doing the same thing. Although the lessons learned on the range were outstanding. The classroom and field presentations were equally valuable. As in most endeavors, understanding and mindset are always key factors to success. The information that you and the other instructors shared was invaluable. As I mentioned, I have been a target shooter (and rifle hunter) for many years. I thought that I was prepared for self dense situations based on that experience. What I learned at TDI was an awakening for me in terms of what I did not know and worse, what I would have done wrong if ever confronted with a dangerous situation.

Prior to the class I was expecting to have two or three instructors working with the class. On the last day, I counted thirteen TDI professionals that had worked with the 32 members of our class. During the three day class I had the opportunity to interact with almost all of them. There were some common traits that I observed with each instructor and each interaction. The experience of all of the instructions was remarkable. There was no question that I was being taught by experts. Not only did they know what they were doing, they knew how to teach proper techniques and especially for me, showed an incredible amount of patience working with me to help me correct my numerous bad habits. I also learned a tremendous amount from them during casual conversations based on their real world experience.

All in all, this three day course was the most intense and worthwhile training activity that I have ever attended. I am in the process of transcribing my notes and attempting to document the techniques that I was taught. Like a pilot, I will use this information as my “pre-fight” training checks list; hoping that I never have to actually use it in an actual incident.

As a final comment, I am involved as a consultant with a company that focuses on public safety interoperable communications. This system can and has saved lives in the US as well as in Afghanistan. Although I receive modest compensation for my efforts (the company is a spinoff of a company I used to run), my reward is knowing that I am helping save lives. I have the sense that you and your colleagues also feel the same way about TDI. Collectively, we are lucky being able to use our experience and give back to others.

Thank you and your colleagues for what you are doing. You will definitely see me and my son again.

April, 2014

Tactical Defense Institute Staff,

I want to express sincere thanks to the men and women at TDI for conducting excellent Handgun I, II, III training. As a single mother of 5 children, I bought my first handgun several months ago. If I was going to have a gun in the house, it was very important to me to know how to use it and store it safely. I went into class the first day knowing very little, so I thought I would feel somewhat intimidated. However, everyone was so approachable and open to any and all questions that I wasn’t intimidated at all.

The instructors at TDI did an excellent job of teaching me how to safely handle a handgun, starting with the very basics. The classroom instruction covered all of the questions I had regarding law and gun rights. Then, on the range we learned the basics of how to safely hold, load, holster and shoot. I thought I knew how to safely load and shoot going in, but it turns out that I was doing it incorrectly. Part of the training was not only showing us what to do, but what not to do, which is very important.

After the basics were down, TDI went above and beyond… We ran through different scenarios to learn how to ‘clear’ our home (or other buildings), how to protect ourselves in real-life scenarios, and how to shoot, re-load, and clear any malfunctions in our handguns while walking… something I never thought I would be able to do.

The instructors are extremely alert to safety issues, so I felt completely safe the entire time. I left feeling competent and capable of how to safely protect myself and my family. The experience and knowledge of the TDI staff is beyond compare. Thank you for such a wonderful experience. I would highly recommend your classes to anyone.

Denae` Adams

April, 2013

I wanted to express my sincere gratitude to you, and all the TDI instructors. When I got the call that I had been selected for the first class I was excited and nervous. I did not want to make a fool out of myself. When we began early Monday morning I knew I was in the right place. I absorbed all the information you were presenting to us. I felt comfortable and safe during all of our lectures, range time, and live scenarios.

What you have created in TDI is an outstanding place for learning and training in a very specialized skill set. You and all your instructors are very approachable and willing to share your knowledge. You answered all questions that were asked by the group and even expanded when the opportunity was right. I am proud to say that I was part of the Pilot teacher program. Thank you for the guidance and opportunity to be trained by the best. I wish you continued success and hope more teachers have the chance to learn from TDI.

Patrick Paré

March, 2013

In January 2013, the Board of Education passed a resolution authorizing certain individuals to conceal carry on school premises. Although I am in total support of this decision, as the superintendent, I knew that there was a lot of work that needed to be done before this actually became a reality. The first thing I did was call my local police chief, Jeff Lehman, and asked for help. He suggested we have TDI come up to Williams County to conduct a 2 day active shooter training course, so that’s what we did.

The 2 days (March 2 and 3, 3013) spent with TDI were invaluable to my comprehensive plan of arming school employees. It’s one thing to carry a firearm at school. It’s another thing to know what to do with it. The training was practical and intense and provided a structural framework on how to assess, engage, and neutralize a threat in a school setting. The scenarios developed by TDI allowed us to train and practice what may be encountered in an active shooter situation.

The trainers were honest and insightful and made sure we corrected our mistakes. They pushed us to improve and get better. The staff at TDI was second to none. The expertise each of these gentlemen brought to the training was tremendous. When I learn something, I want to be taught by the best. I have not been through extensive tactical training, but I can attest that TDI has to be among the best. I would recommend them to any organization that wishes to be better prepared to handle an active shooter situation.

I was at the active killer training in Edgerton, OH this past weekend. I wanted to thank you for the superior training that was offered. I was very impressed with the depth of knowledge of all the trainers. I learned a massive amount of information in a short period of time. Each and every trainer/member of TDI that was involved this weekend was very professional, friendly, and an excellent teacher. I never felt self-conscious about asking a question or needing more help with a skill, they were all very patient and helpful. It was nice to train along side police officers in the area. They were able to jump in and help with good suggestions and share their experiences. It helped me to see things from the police point of view. Thanks again and keep up the good work. I would love to be able to do this again and sharpen the skills that I was introduced to this past weekend.

Tracy Rendleman
Science Department
Edgerton High School

To Mr. Benner, the instructors and staff at TDI:

I would like to sincerely thank you all for the invitation and privilege to attend and participate in the above training at TDI between April 20, 2012- April 22, 2012.

I was impressed by your gracious offer for four Officers from our office to attend and receive training at TDI gratis. I arrived at TDI eager to undergo professional firearms training from outside my agency. I did not quite know what to expect. I certainly was not disappointed!

In my opinion the instruction and reinforcement of our basic handgun handling skills received at TDI far surpassed what I personally have experienced in my career and personally. I would eagerly and without hesitation recommend that anyone with a desire or interest to hone or improve their firearms skills for either professional or personal reasons to obtain training at your facility. I would even go so far as to recommend an experienced shooter undergo the handgun I-III training as I believe they will still be able to come away with improved skills.

The scope of my personal formal firearms related training has been limited primarily to what was offered by my agency. I often felt that due to agency regulation, dogma and personal ego the training I received over the years was geared more towards the lowest common denominator type shooters. While meeting and exceeding the minimum standards for a “pass”, I rarely felt that I was pushing my abilities, let alone refining my existing ones. I also did not feel I was able to take from the training an attitude or philosophy towards how I could improve my own skills and also how I conduct my agency’s training and qualifications. As a result, the only time I was able to “push” myself was on my own time while practicing or during competition. Based on my prior experiences I really did not feel I could “push” a student being instructed by me.

I experienced waves of relief when I realized this attitude and this type of atmosphere did not exist at TDI. The instructors and staff-all of them-allowed the individual shooters the opportunity to demonstrate and practice newly offered techniques at their own pace/abilities. No one was chastised for falling short of expectations nor were those who excelled reined in. The instructors were present to offer tips or assistance to help the shooter with the technique without being too hands on. In instances where the student had obviously grasped the concept and was applying it correctly, the instructors were observant and experienced enough to be on stand by and offer encouragement to “push” them a little, while at the same time assisting the shooters needing assistance and also keeping the exercise safe. At no time was any technique forced or mandated as the standard practice, merely offered as an alternative or something new to try. This practice of treating the shooters as “big boys and girls” while at the facility extended to firearms safety practices in which a more relaxed yet still professional attitude by the staff (from my observations) helped keep the goings-on flowing along while not being too overbearing. I never felt there was a lack of encouragement by any of the instructors or staff. I never felt any of the proceedings were unsafe or out of line.

Shooters with a question or particular difficulty with a technique (such as I had with the “dropouts”) were given some one-on-one time to clarify the technique, offer corrections, practice, or improvement without holding up the flow or pace of the rest of the group. I repeatedly observed your instructors practically lunging at the opportunity to assist or clarify something to a shooter. Most importantly, the individual getting the extra attention was NEVER allowed to feel singled out or somehow marginalized for this. They were always encouraged. Also, both during and at the end of an exercise any issues or mistakes that were observed by the instructors were introduced to the group along with a correction and, most importantly, justification for the correction. This was always done without singling out the perpetrator of the mistakes or issues. Clearly, this was a shooting school run by professionals for those who take their skills seriously. Never did these correction sessions degrade into criticism sessions.

I also appreciated the degree to which the facility grounds, targets, and other equipment appeared to be well kept and maintained, as opposed to some of the institutional facilities I have been to in the past. To me, the devil is in the details, and the way a facility’s grounds and equipment (and staff) appear and operate speaks volumes towards how the attitude towards the training and how the overall experience will be. The great attitudes, energy and enthusiasm your instructors and staff radiated throughout the weekend was contagious and was a refreshing change for me. It shows your group is confident, prepared, knowledgeable, and believe in what they taught and in the facility they represented. Any disappointment I endured during my time at TDI was due solely to my own personal, physical, and/or equipment limitations rather than anything on the part of the TDI staff or facilities.

In my personal social sphere there are a small handful of civilian types that are serious firearms enthusiasts who have attended more than one of your courses in the past. All have raved to me about their experiences at TDI and all plan on returning again in the future. Until now, various (lame) reasons have kept me from attending a class at TDI. After my experience I am glad to say I intend on returning with my spouse to attend a civilian class in the future so I can share what I have experienced with her. I will also encourage others in my agency to apply to attend classes at TDI in the future.

Thank You very much sir, and also thank you to all of your staff for allowing our small group to take part in the training. I hope to be able to take some of the enthusiasm, energy, and techniques and incorporate them into our next agency training and qualification session.

I also hope to see you all again soon.

D.K. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Mr. Benner,

I thank you so much for opening your arms and allowing us to train at your facility. I was deeply touched by your instruction because these things will maximize my effectiveness and can save my life. I wrote a short review for the website if you see fit.

I would like to personally thank Mr. John Benner and all of the staff at Tactical Defense Institute of Ohio for their hard work ethic, knowledge, and willingness to give personal attention to my needs. We trained hard and the instructors never, for an instant, let fatigue slow them down. They were energetic and patient the entire training. I’ve been in law enforcement for over six years and spent four years in the 82nd Airborne Division, and the instructors at TDI opened my eyes to things that I had never seen, or been exposed to. I had cultivated bad habits over time, and the instructors spotted these very fast, and worked with me to overcome those. I take my training very personal, and the instructors have touched me in a very personal way because the things they have shown me can save my life. I have never seen such a wealth of knowledge in one place, and I don’t expect to ever experience the same caliber of knowledge and ability anywhere else that I may find myself training, it would be borderline impossible. I will definitely return time and time again. Thank you guys so much for the impact you have left on me.

James J. Banks

Immigration Enforcement Agent

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Department of Homeland Security

Cleveland, OH

November, 2010

1st Sgt Andrew Dooley presents a United States Flag flown over Baghdad, Irag. He is with the 101st Airborne Division. The plaques & flag are signed by CSM (Command Sergeant Major) Lawrence K. Wilson & General Raymond T. Odierno Commanding General US Forces in Iraq. It’s not something we talk about much publically, but we do everything we can to support the Men and Women of The United States’s Armed Forces. CONUS and OCONUS. This was a very nice gesture, 1st Sgt Dooley.

Thank you.

.

Oct 29th, 2010

Active Killer-Shooter Training

John,

I have finally sat down to compile all my notes from the class this past weekend. Before I get into how much I liked the class you had said that you could email the curriculum that was in the class. I have tried to write in order and comprehend all that I have wrote down but alas…some people are meant to work with their hands and others dictation….I am of the group that works best with my hands… Would that be a problem for you to email me this outline so I can best put all this in my head? Now on to the good stuff!

When I signed up for the class I was a little concerned that it would be a compellation of handgun…ECQ….and other things I had already taken at TDI. You told me that it wasn’t and I took your word as I have always thought you as a very straight shooter. You were spot on as usual!

From the lectures on getting into the mind of the active shooter /terrorist to the bomb detection and construction of IED’s to the advanced shooting tactics and I couldn’t leave out the mass force on force attacks and live fire tactics. All eye opening tactics and showing the realization that this training is necessary and a viable solution to this type of encounter. I will highly recommend this to CCW folks,Leo’s ,Military ,and anyone interested in surviving and prevailing in these now all to common and extremely violent events in are society

October, 27th 2010 Student Writes from Overseas

Mr. Benner,

I’ve attached a picture of the 34th Grandmaster of Togakure Ryu Ninjutsu with a cane that I purchase from you while at your class back in June of 2010, he was very pleased with the cane. I look forward to seeing you again in 2011.

Tom Hilliard

10-25-2010 Handgun V

To John and the rest of the staff at TDI,

I just wanted to thank all of you for the great training and the great atmosphere at this year’s handgun 5. As always, it was a pleasure attending your facility and getting to train with the consummate professionals there. Even though we don’t have any carry privileges here inIllinois, the classes have taught me a new way to pay attention to the world around me while I’m out unarmed. You stress “know your world” and that applies at all times. So, even though the classes are titled tactical handgun, they are just as effective as simple tactical awareness.

I would also like to mention that the classes, even at their most intense, are about as much fun as a person can have.

Handgun 5 was just over a week ago and we are already looking forward to 6 next year.

Thanks again.
Rob B.

Illinois

June 8, 2010 Letter From a Student

John and Staff,

Having just completed training there last weekend, I’ve had a few days to reflect and practice. First, I can’t begin to tell you how much that weekend meant to me (and I’m sure others). Your staff is by far and away the best I’ve ever seen or had the good fortune to be around. They are SO positive and complimentary that every minute was a pleasure, even when you knew you were screwing up.

The techniques and fundamentals were excellent. Having experienced other shooting and training, I can say without doubt or hesitation that this is the best I’ve seen. The only true way to prove that is to keep coming back and learning more. I’ve got some medical hurdles to clear over the next months, but your class and the future ones I’m signed up for now and in the future remain a wonderful positive goal for me to look forward to.

Please extend my deepest thanks to your staff for a great job. And John, you were especially understanding and helpful. See you in August for the tactical rifle class.

Ted Dixon

9-13-2010 Letter About Our Concealed Carry Course

John,

I felt compelled to write to you about the Advanced Concealed Carry class my wife and I just completed there at T.D.I. As you know, Amy and I have completed handgun 1-5 there, as well as Tactical Rifle-I. When we discussed the Advanced Concealed Carry(A.C.C.) class, I wasn’t certain that the course would make a lot of sense for us, having had handgun 4 & 5. We decided to go ahead and take it, and the two of us are SO glad we did! Having had several of your courses, we’d come to expect a well-organized, thoughtful, curriculum. A.C.C. is a fundamentally necessary class for ANYONE who carries a concealed firearm. There was not a single part of the class that either of us felt was redundant for us, despite our other courses. While I am clearly trying, I cannot put into words how useful this class was to us. Due to our business being at high-risk for criminal attack, we carry concealed firearms at all times, and it is amazing to us how much we learned and improved over those two days. As always, the instructors were ALL exemplary, but I really have to comment on the lead instructor for this class, David Bowie. To simply say that David did a “good job” with this course would be a serious understatement. I am deeply impressed with David’s ability to teach. It is amazing to watch him stay “ON” the entire weekend as he leads an entire class, each with unique circumstances and needs, through the course. Not for a second did he let up, slow down, nor cut corners. Like all the TDI Instructors, one can easily tell that David cares DEEPLY that if we’re ever faced with a threat, we’re not only ready to face it, but equipped to WIN. I think as regular students of TDI we’ve come to expect such a high level of professionalism that, perhaps, we may forget what it takes to maintain that. The fact is, David worked 10 times harder than any of us, and he maintained that pace all weekend. Advanced Concealed Carry is not a class that ANYONE, law enforcement or citizen, can afford to skip if they carry a concealed firearm. We both learned a GREAT DEAL, and have even discussed taking the course again next year. OUTSTANDING!

Last weekend I attended a 3 day Tactical Rifle I course at Tactical Defense Institute (TDI) hosted by John Benner and his staff in West Union, OH. I chose TDI because it was the closest full-spectrum weapons training facility, the cost seemed reasonable and I had heard & read good things about them. Classes ran from 9am to 5pm with an hour break for lunch (pack your own cooler) and an evening shoot was scheduled for Day 2. The nearest lodging, meals and medical facility are at least a 20 minute drive.

[NOTE FROM TDI STAFF: We have arraignments made, and coordinates on file (including landing zone) with two different air-care/life-flight companies with a third available should the need arise. We are covered by 4 different regional ERs (University of Cincinnati, Adams County Regional, Miami Valley, Chillicothe) including two Level 1 trauma centers less than 15 minutes flight. In addition, we have experienced medical personal on staff at all times.]

This is my first attempt at writing an AAR, so be gentle. I didn’t take notes or pics and did not make any real effort to mentally document my training for the purpose of reporting it – so I may have missed a thing or two. I went to TDI seeking instruction, and concentrated my time on listening, watching, participating and gathering knowledge. I’ve only attended 2 other training classes, so take my random comments with that fact in mind.

The Class

* This was a Level I carbine class. There were 21 students (2 female) and approximately 8 to 10 instructors working during different portions of the class. For the most part, a 2 to 1 student/instructor ratio. All students were civilian with the lone exception of a NROTC Cadet. Ages ranged from 20 to 50+. All but two of the instructors were from a law enforcement background, only one listed military qualifications. In my opinion, a good portion of the students had very limited carbine experience, but during the entire class at no time did I see an unsafe condition on the range.

* Day 1 – Intro, classroom lectures, sighting in, precision shooting. The morning was spent in the classroom covering the basics: shooting positions, firearms safety, ammo & ballistics, different rifle types & parts, etc. PowerPoint presentations and chalkboard diagrams were used to illustrate topics. The afternoon was spent sighting-in and shooting from prone at 25, 50, 100 and 200 yards in 5 shot groups. (Take a shooting mat, you’ll want one here.) The instructors stressed, “They’ll run dirty; but not dry.” Many guns started out the day completely dry – no oil. The instructors wanted 100yd zeros on all rifles for conformity. Understood, as some students arrived with new optics freshly screwed onto weapons – no zero on the gun. I went with 25yd zeros on all 3 of my uppers and they’re going back there now that I am finished with the class. There was a classroom session at the end of Day 1 on rifle maintenance, care and cleaning.

* Day 2 – CQB. Day 2 was spent shooting at close ranges. An instructor would explain each new concept, demonstrate it (often multiple times) and then take questions. Students then got the opportunity to practice dry and then shoot the drill. Stance and squaring up to the target, ready positions and sight over bore were introduced. Reloading drills, malfunction/ clearance drills, practice shooting singles-doubles-triples at different points of aim, moving and shooting and transition to a secondary were then added. The bulk of my shooting took place on Day 2 with a slightly lower round count on Day 3.

* Low light/Night Shoot – Scheduled for the end of day 2 but the weather did not cooperate and it rained down cats-n-dogs. Time was instead spent in the classroom covering entry techniques. As much as I wanted to spend the very limited time I would get to shoot in low light working with a new Surefire 9v light, the time spent in the class was not wasted. The entry techniques would be needed the next day in the shoot houses.

* Day 3 – Five Shooting Stations. Day 3 came with a bit of relief from the heat thanks to the previous night’s rain. The group was broken up into five 4 person ‘teams.’ Each team took turns at 5 separate stations: 1.) run and gun targets on the Lower Range, 2.) two person teams in Live Fire Houses 1 and 2, 3.) a timed combo medium-range precision and CQB course on the Rifle Range, 4.) a Jungle Trail course to spot and shoot concealed targets, and 5.) a cover and concealment Obstacle Course on the Upper Range that really tested your cardio/breath & trigger control if you did it right.

* These five individual scenarios required the collective use of the skills and shooting techniques we had learned over the previous 2 days classes. Much of the course up to this point was review and reinforcement for me. These were the dynamic shooting experiences I had hoped to get from taking a class. This was my first time clearing rooms in a live fire shoot house with a carbine. That, and the extensive feedback from the instructors on my performance there were the most beneficial and informative part of the course for me. The techniques & lessons learned in the Live Fire House alone were worth the price of admission, as my home is the most likely scenario where I would deploy a carbine as a civilian. It’s funny, every hallway I enter now gets dissected and think about where I should stand, how I’d position my body and weapon and then how I would drop-in if I had to enter a room.

Other Random Thoughts & Observations

* 19 students used some brand or another of DI AR platform, 2 ran piston guns. Most were simple, basic 16″ M4 clones. A few failures to extract were the main rifle malfunctions and one student went out and purchased a new SIG with Leupold CQB after a frustrating first day. A new Eotech that wouldn’t adjust to point of impact got replaced by an Aimpoint. The instructors were extremely patient, answering a lot of basic gun & equipment questions and freely offered personal insight on different types of guns and gear. They weren’t afraid to honestly tell you what they thought of anything, in a polite fashion.

* Many students did not arrive prepared with weapons and gear proved out, but this was a basic entry level class and probably is to be expected. Only a few students ran weapon mounted lights and some students shot irons the whole weekend. Most others used a red dot of some kind: one ACOG, one 1-4x scope, the rest Aimpoints or Eotechs. Some students borrowed optics/mounts or rifles from TDI who had limited loaners on hand.

* TDI has a small pro shop with a small selection of quality optics, slings, stocks, etc. for sale and offered basic gunsmith services if/when required. A number of students needed slings, mounts, etc. and were able to get these items on site. They can provide your ammo too, if notified in advance.

* All but 1 student carried a pistol, but it was required only infrequently. Malfunction/clearance drills were presented and practiced. Transition drills were covered and students got limited practice time with swapping from primary to secondary. Transitions were only required in the event of a malfunctioning primary. The recommended 100 rounds was plenty.

* For Ohio, the weather was unusually HOT. Temps of 96+ corrected for humidity at 105. This greatly slowed the pace of the class. The instructors were very clear about the dangers of dehydration and heat stroke. Water/Gatorade was provided in quantity and students were frequently encouraged to hydrate.

* Frequent breaks were required as the high heat & humidity had a real effect on some students. The extra breaks kept the overall pace at a slow crawl during much of day 1 and 2, but honestly – at times it was brutally hot. The instructors did repeatedly caution everyone against overexertion and the need to stay hydrated. At this temp, staying hydrated was vitally important. The slower pace did allow me time to switch back and forth between guns with different uppers. I put some trigger time on a new SBR and got to run both my other guns too.

* Everyone was quickly a hot & sweaty mess, but those students running chest rigs/vests or wearing pants looked very uncomfortable. I wore shorts and ran a first line belt (Warhog by US Grunt Gear) and having nothing on my chest made me a lot more comfortable in the heat. Very few students had a method for carrying any amount of ammunition and water on their person, but we were never really far from our vehicles.

* I may have had the only IFAK on the range, but then I’m over-cautious. Chances of an accidental GSW or serious injury are probably lower than low, but it happens. The location is very remote and medical assistance would take time. Don’t know what the instructors had in their vehicles or their level of e-med training.

* The recommended 1800 rds of ammo was well over what I needed for a full class of 20 students and the pace in the heat. I probably only got off 1200 and that was shooting repeated doubles and triples most every drill. I ran 55gr. Wolf ammo (with extra power extractor springs and Crane O-rings) and experienced no weapon failures of any kind.

Over-All

I was pleased with my experience at TDI. I was made to feel welcome, learned plenty of new things to think about and definitely got a good deal for the price of the class. They offer plenty of classes that interest me and I will definitely return next year for additional courses.

“Wicked”

M4carbine.net

Jul 19, 2010 Student Writes About Tactical Shotgun

My New Year’s resolution was to attend some sort of tactical shotgun class. I figured that this was where the most improvement to my shooting/HD skills would come from. Especially since I rely on a shotgun for home defense.

Having been to Tactical Defense Institute (TDI) on two previous occasions for the Fun-N-Guns I looked at their class offerings and noticed that they had a tactical shotgun course. Given their excellent reputation, buttressed by the positive reviews from other forum members who have taken their handgun I-III classes, I decided to give them a shot.

Before signing up for the class, I e-mailed TDI to inquire as to whether my current shotgun would be appropriate for the course. You see, my HD shotty is also the very first gun I ever bought; a wood stocked pump-action Mossberg 500 12-ga with a 20” slug barrel. She sports a $12 sling and an elastic shell cuff for holding a few extras. No lights, lasers, pistol grips, collapsible stocks, compensators, red dots, tactical slings or side-saddles on my gun. This is simplicity at its finest. Mr. Benner himself responded to my e-mail, saying that just such a shotgun would be fine for the class. With that, I signed up.

When I arrived Saturday morning I signed in and paid up. While the nominal course fee is $300, TDI is running a special (limited time only) where they give 10% discount to those paying in cash. You still reserve the class with a credit card, of course, but just hand over the money at sign-in. I figure that saving $30 is worth a trip to the ATM and so opted for the discounted cash price.

The recommended load of shells for the class is 300 birdshot, 25 buckshot and 15 slugs. I used ALL my birdshot and wished that I had about 50 more. So if you go, take extras of everything. Yes, this will make your bag VERY heavy. Dang near strained myself getting the ammo bag to the car.

The start of the course involved Mr. Benner showing the difference between birdshot and various buckshot brands at different distances. He pointed out that you need to pattern your defense load for YOUR specific gun at the distances you expect to need it. This was a touch old hat for me, having long since patterned my HD shotty.

Mr. Benner also demonstrated proper recoil management including shooting a shotgun one-handed (while smoking a cigar) with very little muzzle flip. All of the shooting we did was “squared up” to the target, which worked a lot better than I thought it might. Just like with rifles, if you use proper technique you can handle the punishment that it is trying to dish out to your shoulder. That’s not to say you won’t get a bruise, because you will, but it doesn’t have to pound you into dust, either.

We practiced loading. While this might seem intuitive, loading a shotgun tactically is rather different than loading it while under no stress. Things like keeping an eye on the threat area become important in a tactical situation. You also need to learn to “abandon” a shell that you accidentally drop. Much skin is lost from the thumb by positively shoving shells into the tube far enough that it won’t pop out. The fast technique for “throwing in” a shell for an open bolt reload was WAY COOL! Most of all, they stressed that when there is a lull in the action it is important to “top off”. In other words, keep stuffing shells into the tube until it won’t accept anymore.

There were a number of speed drills done that were REALLY fun. Some were individual, others team. I was on “Team Mulligan”. While you would think that the semi-auto shotties would dominate the speed drills, it wasn’t really so. When engaging multiple targets the time lag between shots can be used to pump a shotty while swinging the barrel. The fastest semi-auto gunner in my group only bested my time to engage 3 targets by about 0.25 seconds.

We did drills that required firing (and loading) on the move. Trying to keep “squared up” was hard to do, certainly need to practice that some more. We also shot both strong and weak side, including transition drills. TONS of fun!

We did shotgun to handgun transition drills. As a cross-dominant shooter I came to this very naturally. Even with a regular (non-tacticool) sling like mine it can be done quickly. And I put the skill to good use later on.

At night we did low-light shooting drills. Part of this was using a handheld light while working your gun (yes, they even made the guys with weapon-mounted-lights do this). Another part was moving and firing while using the light in “flash-scan” mode. OODLES OF FUN!!!

Towards the end of it all we did some close-quarters drills. Just about everyone could use one of the two techniques Mr. Benner demonstrated. For a “surprise” snap shot, it would certainly be effective. Plus, the recoil was almost non-existent.

Doing the live-fire house was VERY challenging. Unlike at a Fun-N-Gun, there was no prior walk through. You had no idea where targets were. Hallways SUCK with a shotty. Of course, I shot the no-shoot target. OOOOOPS. However, on the very last target when my shotty ran dry after the first shot (I was double-tapping them all) I immediately transitioned to my revolver and triple-tapped the BG target. THAT was fun!

Off to the rifle range! We shot slugs at 25, 50 & 75 yards. And while I didn’t shoot a 1-inch group at 25 yards it wasn’t that much bigger (thank you, AppleSeed training). I was certainly the best shot with slugs in my group.

Then we went to the upper range where we went through a VERY LONG string of firing from cover and moving. This was VERY fatiguing. Didn’t look hard at first, but once you got out there it sapped your strength QUICKLY.

Lastly was the jungle walk. This was AWESOME. Going down a dense-forest path with steel knock-down targets on both sides. Of course, I missed one – as in didn’t even SEE him.

Let’s discuss equipment. Failures were happening all over with many kinds/models of guns/equipment (except for my old Mossy). I saw a red-dot go down, sights fall off guns, weapon-mounted-lights fail, a fore-end come off, semi-autos jam (especially after a couple of hundred shells) and so forth. Even guys with awesome custom equipment ran into some difficulties once they got tired and their guns got grungy. At least one guy who brought two (2) shotguns had them BOTH seriously malfunction.

Conclusions:

1 – This was my first TDI class. I was VERY impressed and will likely take more.

2 – The instructors were very good and numerous. If you needed 1-on-1 attention, you got it.

3 – Clearing any area of targets (even ones that aren’t shooting back at you) is very stressful.

4 – Semi-autos are very fast, but not really a huge edge over pump guns. But for a small number of rounds, such as is used in a HD scenario, that small edge might be worth the trade-off in cost and susceptibility to dirt

ohioccwforums.org

“Morne”

6-19-2010 Student writes about Handgun I-III

Hello Mr. Benner,

Just want to say “thank you,” to you and instructors; you are all doing great work at Tactical Defense Institute!

We all had a wonderful time, and learned many valuable skills and lessons. As you and I discussed for a brief moment during the ride to Shoot House #3, your instructors are excellent; patient, “know their stuff,” and are consistently willing to provide helpful instruction – despite torrential rain!

Admittedly, my wife Deb, initially agreed to attend the course just to placate me. Afterwards, she recognized this was really about her safety and that of our daughters, as well; she plans to attend future courses, and even wants our 13 year old daughter to participate!

Thank you again, John.

Keep up the great work you and your staff are performing at TDI.

Ever vigilant,

Steve Shrader

P.S. You are correct, David Bowie is an excellent instructor – and I look forward to sending some of our pistols to him to be worked.

April 19, 2010 Student Writes About Handgun I-III

Private Group Class

Dear All:

You asked me to report on whether the TDI class was worthwhile. I can safely report that it is the most fun you have with you clothes on. Moreover, I can see why it is held in Adams County-having that much fun inHamiltonCountywould clearly be illegal.

Oh my gosh-even though I already had a CCW license and considered myself (wrongly) to be a somewhat decent shot, the course was tremendous. Our class consisted on some people who had never fired a gun, a bunch of regular folks who already carried and a handful of current law enforcement and ex-military and special forces who thought enough of the course to pay for it out of their own pockets. There were really only a handful of folks there to get their CCW. People came fromMichigan,Virginia,Colorado,Ohio, Kentucky etc and there were a fair number of folks who drive in from theClevelandarea, The teachers were swat, and other law enforcement types from jurisdictions from as far away asClevelandas well as some civilians with very substantial shooting and training experience. There was even a psychologist!

The morning of the Level I course was all classroom-again, even though I already had my CCW, the lectures were terrific-there were presentations on situational awareness, the mind set of survivors and victims, etc. but one of the most important segments (and a thread that ran throughout) was the mindset of the bad guy. Without going into a lot of detail, the point being made was that the bad guys really are bad, with a totally different value system that that of ours. We try to impress upon them or want to believe, that they really are decent folks and will not hurt us unless they have to. Nothing could be further from the truth and listening to the lectures and watching the videos of court testimony make that apparent. If you want more info, holler.

At any rate, after lunch (bring your own), you head out to range-use/bring your own guns or grab one of theirs at no charge. Gun Safety is of paramount importance. First we practiced single shots to one target, then two shots to one target and then three shots to one target then two shots to two targets, all while learning trigger control. Then we worked on a safe position for the gun, extending it and taking the slack out of the trigger while extending. We all got plenty of individual attention and followed up with other drills. I shot about 400 shells on day 1. I had not planned on doing Level II as well, but had so much fun that I managed to convince my wife that I should come back the next day and take Level II as well. After an hour or two of lectures in the morning, we headed back out to the range and reviewed what we had done the previous day. From there, we worked again on extending the gun while pulling the trigger, learned a smooth safe draw for use in defensive situations, malfunction clearing and various reloading techniques. After shooting lots of holes in targets (well, may not so much in targets as around targets), we worked on moving while shooting-forwards, sideways and backwards and got to practice this on a variety of steel targets while moving. We also got an introduction to the live fire house, started talking about how to safely investigate and clear a house. For those that did Level III on Sunday and anyone else that was interested, the day ended with a visualization and stress reduction exercise taught by a psychologist, leading into the live fire house (TDI has at least three live fire houses) exercises and more training. I am signing up for Level III as soon as there is an opening in the TDI schedule.

John Benner was terrific as were the other members of his staff. One of the staff was David Bowie (of Bowie Tactical Concepts) who is also a pretty amazing guy, great lecturer and all around nice guy. Check out the customization he does on guns-I left one of mine with him for some minor work and am already thinking about sending him some of my others).

I have copied the other people in our group from Friday with the thought perhaps they will add their own thoughts/corrections to mine.

Check it out-With a money back guaranty, you cannot go wrong. I know it was well worth my time-now I just need to practice what I was taught. By the way, between days I and II, I shot about 1000 rounds of ammo. None of the people who were there, including a fair number of women and first time shooters, had any physical problems with shooting that number of rounds or the training.

Finally, we re getting close to the wire with the Cast & Blast. If you are not already signed up or don’t know about it, please see the article in the attached ski patroller newsletter.

I attended Handgun 1-3 at TDI Ohio Sept 24-26, 2010. We had 28 students and 8 instructors at the beginning. We had a few extra people join for day 2 and a few people leave for day 3. There were two 13yo’s in the class, one of whom was the son of one of the instructors and shot very well! There were at least 3 sets of husband and wives there. We went around and introduced ourselves and what kind of work we did. The class was very diverse -medical people, truck drivers, salesmen, housewives, and even a piano tuner. The staff is also very diverse including several active law enforcement personnel as well as a psychologist, attorney and financial guy. Many of the staff volunteer their time to teach there.

Handgun 1

We were in the class room for the morning. We went over a lot of the legalities on gun fights and also as they pertain to the CCW laws. John Benner did most of the talking with some of the other staff members interjecting on few sections l. Bill Posey, one of the staff members who is also a practicing attorney, talked about how the average criminal and legal defense fees for being involved in a shooting typically run$50-100k each, but that if you have the correct clause in your homeowners insurance that they will cover the civil portion of the defense. This applies whether the shooting occurred at home or outside the home.

They give you an hour for lunch. I suppose you could run to the closest town for something to eat, but it’s easiest to just bring your own food. We ate at the diner next to the Comfort Inn every morning and just bought a sandwich at breakfast and took it for lunch. They have a refrigerator and microwave, but no drinks unless you want tap water or coffee. There is ice in the freezer. I had tap water every day with lunch.

After lunch we were out on the range. We went over chest ready position and pushing the gun out, taking up trigger-slack as you’re doing it. They “roped” our guns with a piece of rubber tubing, which makes it impossible for it to be loaded or for the action to cycle. It’s an interesting way of making the gun safe. I was always brought up to never point the gun at anyone, loaded or unloaded, but after it’s roped, they have you point it at them and pull the trigger over and over in the drill. It was a little weird to get used to.

They also went over drawing from the holster into a smooth presentation.

That day we all had our own target which was nice. No taking turns. We started with a drill where we’d shoot one shot at a time, regain sight picture and then back to the chest ready. They’d say “shoot about 30shots” although if you shot 20 or 70 that was fine also. Then we did it with 2 shots, 3 shots, alternating targets and eventually with entire magazines with increasing speed. I’ve never blown through so much ammo so fast! While we were doing all of this the staff would walk around, observe and make corrections all in a very helpful, constructive, non-critical way. When Sam saw me using my M&P, asked if I’d done any work on it at all and I said no, he went and retrieved his from his truck and let me shoot a mag of his ammo through it. He had one of David Bowie’s (http://www.bowietacticalconcepts.com) trigger jobs done to it and I must say it was pretty nice! I later shot Bowie’s own EDC M&P9 and it was darn nice as well! The down side of these trigger jobs is that it takes several months to get your gun back from Bowie.

Handgun 2

Day2 again started in the class room where we went over situational awareness and watched a quite enlightening video on the stopping power(or the lack there of) of most hand guns. We then went out to the range and did malfunction clearing drills. The way they explained it made so much more sense than the way I’ve always thought about it. You don’t care what’s wrong with the gun, you just want to get it working again(assuming you’re in a gun fight) so instead of trying to diagnose what the problems is and learning a clearing technique for each type of malfunction, learn one set of techniques that works on them all. Don’t put your hand over the ejection port when racking the slide so you don’t block the round you are trying to clear from coming out. My left index finger was a little raw by the end from racking the slide so many times with 2 fingers. That was a new technique for me as I’d always just put my entire hand over top of the gun to pull the side back. We learned the technique with empty guns and magazines (checked to be empty by at least 3 different instructors) and then often had them pointed at the instructors while doing the drill. Again, just took a bit to get used to point the guns at someone. We then handed the instructor a handful of rounds which they would mix up with some empty shell casings and put them randomly in out mag and the put the mag back in our holstered gun. As an instructor watched each of us individually, [We] had to shoot through the mag dealing with the different malfunctions that the empty casings caused.

We then started doing moving drills/box drills on the steel targets. Also drawing and moving off center as you fired. John Benner took is in small groups over to live fire house #1 to give us an intro to the house stuff as a preparation for going through them the following day.

Before finishing that day we did a roughly 20 minute relaxation/meditation session with the psychologist staff member. Apparently people have had really bad experiences with the live fire houses where they get anxious, hyperventilate, ball up into a fetal position, etc. I guess some people really don’t do well under the small amount of stress in the houses. They’ve been doing these sessions at the end of day 2 for about 10years now and have apparently really seen a positive effect. John Benner, who points out that he is not a touchy feely kind of guy, said that he would not waste our money and time with a relaxation session if he hadn’t seen that it actually helps.

We didn’t really end up shooting that many rounds on Day 2 compared to Day 1.

At the end of the first day I was fearing that 1800 rounds might not be enough. At the end of the second day I realized I had plenty.

Handgun 3

No classroom stuff on day 3. We start on the range. We learned shooting from cover and different cornering techniques depending on if you have a lot of very little space to go around the corner. They demonstrated how “space is your friend” when going around corners, clearing places and in everyday life in general. We learned off handed shooting and how to move the gun from one hand to the other. How to clear around the offhanded corner, looking through your non-dominant eye and using your offhand or turning the gun sideways, all done to expose as little of you as possible.

We went in small groups with Bill Posey to do “furtive movement drills”. They got you to move off center while drawing and shooting and then we each did some role playing as the group watched where Bill would start talking to us casually and at some point the conversation/situation was going to go bad and we had to decide what to do and how to get out of it. Or whether to draw your gun on him. It was great to think through these situations and then get his input on them afterwards.

We did some timed drills to see how fast you could present and get a shot on the steel target, then how fast you could get 3 shots on 3 different targets.

We went individually to the live fire houses. I wish we would have had a chance to do more than one of them. There are 3. We each got to go through a random one. For me at least, the house is no pressure. No one is shooting back at you. It’s not timed. Nothing bad can happen. It’s really just an exercise where you get to use all of the techniques you’ve learned and put them together. There is a staff member with you as you go through and then you watch the person after you as they go through.

They have a small pro shop there. Really it’s just a small glass enclosed counter where you can buy belts, holsters, flashlights, etc, and also the TDI KA-bar knife that they all carry. They also sell some TDI clothing.

Lodging

We stayed at the Comfort Inn, as recommended by TDI. It is very nice and clean.

Free wireless internet. You get a discount for mentioning that you are there for TDI. Several of the instructors also stayed there. The free breakfast at the hotel is actually not too bad. We went over to Cruiser’s Diner right next door before and after the classes. It’s about a 25min drive from the hotel to TDI.

If you’re using GPS, your unit will tell you that you’ve arrived at TDI when you are still in the middle of nowhere. That is the edge of their property. Keep driving for about another half mile or so and you’ll come up on the TDI sign.

In the end, I only shot 900 rounds. I cannot say enough good things about my experience there and can’t wait to go back either to repeat HG 1-3or for HG

4-6 where they shoot back at you. Several people there had been through the HG

1-3 several times, including Bill Posey, who after taking it 6 times, was promoted to being on staff. The staff explains things very well. They explain why they do everything they do which really helps understand why they are teaching a particular technique. John Benner is a very unassuming individual.

They don’t name anything after them. There isn’t anything known as the TDI Cornering Technique. They teach what they think is the best technique for a particular thing such as stance, cornering, hand switching, etc.. If tomorrow they find what they think to be a better technique they will start teaching that. The whole weekend was very casual and comfortable. Definitely dress for the weather. We had perfect weather, but they apparently shoot in anything except for lightening.

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Extreme Close Quarters –ECQ Class July 22 2010

The red suit went real well I thought. John Motil commented at the end that it was nice working with a group of people that had some open hands skills.The one cop (one that wore the gloves when we shot) struggled a bit but got it done. Penny and I practice something similar once a week plus I have a black belt from back in the day so it that part was a great review but nothing new. I had talked to a friend/associate that had taken the class last year and ended up shooting Greg because he was becoming too exhausted to continue. Based on his information I had made the wrong deduction that it would be an extremely tiring exercise.

Apparently my friend needs to learn some more close up and personal skills. What I found really interesting was the different techniques that each individual student used to solve the problem. Also Forrest did a great job of varying his approach. The younger guys he would accuse of messing with his sister, the taller guy with the goatee he talked to in IIRC Israeli, where the student had traveled. I think he tried to get some money from Penny. For me I was all ready to give him the Farnam tape loop “Can’t help you sir.” as you raise your hands palm to the guy and walk on by. As I started to raise my hands Forrest rushed on in, he never said a word and I didn’t have time to even get ‘Ca” out. But like the other students I got her done. LOL

Frankly I enjoyed that class as much or more than most at TDI, although I struggled (and still do) with getting my back leg locked.

Mike H.

6-6-2010

John,

I can’t thank you enough. I know it may seem silly to you, but my wife and I were both oddly sad when we left. We lead very busy lives, and don’t get much time for fun or anything other than work it seems.

Handgun 1-3 was quite literally a life-altering experience for us. The level of professional that is consistent instructor to instructor is not common. I was a paramedic for 10 years, so I have had training that prepared one for lives to hang in the balance. However, I have NEVER had training that was as professionally and completely delivered, and by persons of such high caliber.

Tonight I couldn’t WAIT to get to the radio show. I had it in my head that I was going to tell everyone of our experience. Then I talked to my scheduled guest, [XXXXXXX], and I told him about it. I could tell he was worried that I was going to, inadvertently, undermine him. Talking up TDI is fine, unless you have a guest who is supposed to be the “center” of the show. I knew you wouldn’t want me to undercut him; even though I was DYING to spend the hour on our time there. I did mention TDI as much as I could without stepping on Keith too much. Also, Amy and I are going to do a special one hour segment on a couples/female perspective on our time at TDI. I am hoping it will be the 20th, but it may be the 27th. Either way, that show will literally be a head-swelling event for you, so maybe you shouldn’t listen. You haven’t asked for anything like that, I know. But I doubt you realize what an impact this had on my wife and I. We talked about what we learned ALL the way home. A dialogue has been opened between my wife and I that we simply didn’t have before. We’ve always been close, but I was able to talk GUNS and SHOOTING with MY WIFE!! NEVER has that happened in any meaningful or useful way. Please forward me a list of the instructors we had(if it is okay to mention them on the show). I am SO proud of my wife and how well she did, and now, for the first time ever, I feel like she could really use a firearm to defend herself. That is a comfort and peace I’ve never known; and it is especially important with her doing gold deliveries for me. Amy and I agree that you gave us far more than we gave you. I know I’m going on and on, but if you could see it from our point of view, and take into account that we really are at high-risk for attack, and the consider the weight that has placed on me. I felt I HAD to either BE THERE if she were attacked, or teach her to defend herself. One I could never guarantee and the other I simply was unable to do. I worried about her. I always will, but watching her “Time out” today was the happiest I’ve felt in a very long time. I think I may have to put HER in charge of home defense; she out-scored me!

I wish we could make it to handgun 4 and 5 this month, but a coin show is going to prevent that. However, you won’t be able to forget us for long. We’ll be contacting you to complete the handgun levels and perhaps advanced concealed carry. Honestly, I want to do Tac. rifle and shotgun too; Amy is ready for ANY of the other courses….you may have created a monster!

Thanks again, and if they are okay with it, I’d like the names of our instructors….they were ALL phenomenal!

In my business, my customer’s receive a survey that enables them to grade
their experience and give feedback on their visit which allows us the opportunity
to review our business practices and change as needed. I would like
to “fill out” a survey for TDI and simple say, don’t change a thing.

From the techniques that are taught to the whole curriculum in general,
the learning process is very well thought out and easy to grasp. Perhaps
the element that stands out the most is the overall attitude of the Staff. They
all sincerely emulate your courtesy and professionalism. In your
ads, you state: “Train with TDI’s professional staff in a friendly, fun environment.
Our total system of personal defense will exceed your expectation” — now that’s truth
in advertising.

I can not thank you and your staff enough for the skill and mindset you
have taught me.

I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed
Handgun Levels 4&5. You and your staff are exceptional people, and a pleasure
to train with. Your in depth training covers many thingsthat
I never would have thought of and teaches skill that every
CCW holder should know. I hope I never have to use them, but
I am confident that I could.

Please extend my highest regards to your staff,
who’s teaching techniques are very effective without intimidating
the student. John Motil
should have hit me with the stick after so many “LOCK THAT WRIST” warnings,
but I think he finally got the message through.

It is TDI’s professional trainers that will
keep me returning for future classes and referring TDI to everyone
who asks. Thanks
again for the fantastic service you provide.

Our President supports arming teachers to protect our school kids. TDI is proud to be a leader in the movement to arm school staff and we do so to higher qualification standards than the Ohio Police Officers annual handgun recertification test.

The curriculum developed by John Benner and the TDI staff had already trained more than 1,000 school staff with the permission of their administrations.

President Donald Trump, leading an emotional discussion with families touched by school gun violence, signaled support for a plan to arm teachers and coaches and also tighten background checks and mental-health screening before gun purchases.